Robin Hood Radio, the smallest National Public Radio station, now transmitting to Mid-Hudson (video)

SHARON, Conn. -- Robin Hood, the 15th century outlaw hero, has informed 21st century airwaves, bringing his name and credo to Robin Hood Radio, the smallest National Public Radio station in the United States, now transmitting its programming to the Mid-Hudson Valley at 88.1 FM.

"We were casting around for a name, even before we had an FCC license," said co-founder Marshall Miles, a familiar name to radio listeners in the Kingston area. For years, he was "Spy in the Sky," the traffic reporter for radio station WKNY 1490 AM,also working at WGHQ 920 AM and WBPM FM 94.3

Miles said his business partner and co-founder Jill Goodman hit upon the name.

"It was perfect. And, of course, once we had a name, we just had to get on the air," Goodman said.

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The two share the same passionate ideology about local radio, so much so that they can finish each other's sentences and almost read each other's minds.

"I came upon Marshall, head hung low, around 2002," Goodman said, laughing and demonstrating.

Goodman said Miles started Tri-State Public Communications, Inc. in 2002 and got the license for and built local TV access station CATV6. She said she met him in June 2005, when he agreed to put Daily Planets, her horoscope column, on local access.

"The FCC had just decided not to open the docket to apply for an FM radio station in 2006. "But, we had robinhoodradio.com, our internet station, up and running on May 8, 2006," Goodman said.

"Meanwhile, I asked Marshall, 'What would you put on the air if you had a signal?' That opened the door," she said.

"We began to ask people what about National Public Radio they loved and what they could live without," Miles said.

"And the first thing people begged us not to put on the air was the annoying pledge drives that drive listeners nuts," Goodman said. "We did and we haven't."

Goodman said there were six core NPR programs that listeners wanted to hear on an NPR local station.

Miles said the co-founders did obtain an FCC permit, first for an AM signal in October 2006, then for FM in May 2008, but they did not launch on air immediately.

"It took us a while to determine what we wanted to present. And, (more time) to develop into our current programming," he said.

Miles said once the station attained its FM status, it immediately became an NPR affiliate. And, the "no-pledge" pledge immediately arose.

"NPR corporate types were dumbfounded. They wanted to know how we intended to raise funds to stay on the air," Miles said, with a huge smile. "When we told them, they told us, if we succeeded, we should write a book."

"We are completely listener-supported," Miles said. "We remind our listeners every day of that fact. And, the donations come in -- every day."

"We have a loyal and extensive list of underwriters who help us every year," Goodman said.

"We do have some grants, but most of our funding comes from our listeners," Miles said.

"But, we will never hold programming hostage to fundraising," Goodman said.

"We don't exactly rob from the rich to give to the poor," Miles said, referring to the legendary Robin Hood's credo.

"But, we had observed how quickly community and even public radio became big corporate radio broadcasting over a huge coverage area," Miles said. "We pledged to each other and our audience to stay small and local."

"And, we have," Goodman said. "Our programming is so unique, we call it 'Locavore,'" she said.

Both are proud to note that their NPR affiliate is the smallest in the nation.

"We've been challenged on that," Miles said. "But, the station is licensed to the town of Sharon -- with about 2,100 residents."

The station, since about early December, has been transmitting its programming at 88.1 FM, from Bard College.

"Bard had the FCC permit, but did not want to operate a radio station," Miles said. "But, the college also did not want to lose the permit, so we began working with them."

Miles said Bard College has since filed an application with the FCC to sell the signal to Robin Hood Radio.

"We'll then own it," Miles said.

"We'll still work with Bard," Goodman said. "There is so much talent at the college."

Miles said the 88.1 FM signal covers a wide swath of Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia and Greene counties: all of Dutchess as far as Millbrook; from Rhinebeck to Kinderhook in Columbia; Saugerties to Kingston, to Woodstock, as far as Shokan, in Ulster; most of Greene as far as Hunter and Windham.

Goodman said the station is on the air live Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, she said, Robin Hood Radio is on air for 24 hours. The station picks up classical music programming from the national affiliate after 6 p.m.

"We use no liners or drop-ins," Miles said. "If a local show host has a scheduling conflict, he or she records the show fully in advance. Every show is produced and put together by the local host."

"I don't think many stations, large or small, can say they have live programming for 12 consecutive hours," Miles said.

"That feature has helped the listening community in ways we never anticipated," Goodman said. She said during last year's Oct. 4 snowstorm, which paralyzed parts of Connecticut, Robin Hood Radio was the only station on the air.

"People didn't have lights, or power, or water," Goodman said. "But, they had transistor radios and batteries."

"We were on the air all day, telling people what roads were open, where they could get a hot shower, where to find water and dry ice," Miles said.

"It was great two-way communication, between the station and the community," Goodman said. "People who had fresh information called in, so we could get the word out."

"It showed us the necessity of 24-7 dialogue," Miles said. "Our coverage area is still our local community. It has to function, even if it's the old-fashioned way, people to people," he said.

"There's just no way to get local, specific news and information on satellite radio," Miles said. "That's the value of Locavore. Robin Hood Radio has it."